Adduci, Gelinas two of CBN’s best
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
Saying Karl Gelinas (Laval, Que.) has been good for the Quebec Capitales over his career would be like calling Usain Bolt fast or saying Mike Tyson was good at hitting people. Although these statements are true, it just doesn’t do it justice.

Gelinas was recently name the top pitcher in foreign or independent leagues by the Canadian Baseball Network while former Texas Ranger Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) took home offensive player of the year.

For Gelinas it didn’t take long for him pick up a baseball as a youngster. At the age of five he would get started with the sport he loved trying to follow in the footsteps of his father Marc, a pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after being drafted in 1978.

“I learned a lot from him,” Gelinas explains of his father. “I owe him a lot.”

Gelinas was then drafted out of the Academie de baseball du Canada (better known as ABC) by the Los Angeles Angels. He would go on to sign a scholarship at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M junior college, throwing two perfect games before signing in the summer of 2003. Gelinas would climb his way through the Angels system until 2007, making it all the way to triple-A Salt Lake.  

After his time with the Angels he would go on to join the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League, helping them winning five championships in a row from 2009-2013. He was named pitcher of the year in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Gelinas posted a 10-3 record with a 2.11 ERA over 16 starts for the Capitales in 2015. He would throw 111 innings and three complete games to help lead the Quebec staff. It was the second time in his time with the Capitales he posted double digit wins, he also won 10 games in 2013.

Gelinas was unaware of his selection as the top pitcher in foreign or independent leagues by the Canadian Baseball Network until receiving a text.

“I found out when I received a congratulations text from my trainer,” Gelinas explained. “I then asked him “for what?” He then told me to go check my Facebook.”

Gelinas doesn’t like to take anything for granted and was happy to hear the news.

“Obviously I was flattered,” Gelinas said. “Its always nice to receive recognition for what you have accomplished.”

To be able to beat out guys like Scott Richmond (North Vancouver, BC) and Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC) for such an honour was an incredible feeling as both of them have pitched where Gelinas one day hopes to be, the big leagues.

Multiple factors have helped lead Gelinas to success on the field. One of which is his crossfit gym, Tonic Crossfit, which has helped him become stronger, fitter, more powerful and balanced as a pitcher. Gelinas also contributes his success to developing strong relationships with baseball people such as Capitales president Michel Laplante (Val-d’Or, Que.) and former big leaguer and current manager of the rival Trois-Rivieres Aigles Pete LaForest (Hull, Que.) who caught Gelinas. 

He also had the privilege of playing with 2003 Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne (Montreal, Que.). He credits his teammate with Quebec for the last four years and current catcher Josue Peley (Montreal, Que.) for a lot of his success as well. His physiotherapist JP Poulin has also done a terrific job keeping him on the field.

Some may think Gelinas would be satisfied with his dominance of independent league hitters but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He is still trying to move his way up.

“I’m looking to get an opportunity,” Gelinas said. “I truly believe I can hold my own in triple-A affiliate ball and from there convince an organization to give me a shot at the big leagues.”

In order to try and achieve this goal he will be working out in Arizona with Gagne over the course of the end of January and February to try and attract interest from a big league team. It certainly appears as though he deserves a look at the next level based on his performance in independent baseball.

As good as Gelinas was on the bump this year, Adduci was as good in the batter’s box. With the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization, Adduci hit an impressive .314 with 28 home runs and 106 RBIs, he would also swipe 20 bases. This would put him in the 20-20 club (20 or more homers and 20 or more steals.) He would become the first Lotte player to ever accomplish the feat.

Adduci spent part of 2014 with the Texas Rangers, appearing in 44 games and hitting one home run and knocking in eight runs. He made his major league debut with the Rangers in September of 2013, 10 years after being drafted in the 42nd round by the Florida Marlins.

Adduci’s father, also named Jim played 11 years of pro ball after being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1980 MLB draft. He would play parts of four seasons in the majors with three teams, the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies. He spent the 1985-86 seasons with the triple-A Vancouver Canadians when they were part of the Brewers farm system.

Keep watching for these two Canadian baseball stars.

HONOR ROLL

INDEPENDENT/FOREIGN  LEAGUE  PLAYERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2008 — Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers
2009 — Pete LaForest (Hull, Que.) Quebec Capitales and Colin Moro (Calgary, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.
2010 — Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.
2011 – Matt Rogelstad (Port Moody, BC) Edmonton Capitals.
2012 – Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.
 
2013 – Jonathan Malo (Laval, Que.) Quebec Capitales.
2014 - Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.
2015 - Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) Lotte Giants, Korea.
 
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
2008 — Michel Simard (Charlesbourg, Que.) Quebec Capitales.
2009 — Aaron Wideman  (Mississauga, Ont.) New Jersey Jackals.
2010 – Aaron Cotter (Kitimat, BC) Sioux Falls Pheasants.
2011 – John Mariotti (Toronto, Ont.) Quebec Capitales
2012 – Jeff Duda (Surrey, BC) Quebec Capitales.
 
2013 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales
2014 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales
2015 – Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) Quebec Capitales

Indy winners from
Provinces: Quebec 7, BC 4, Ontario 3 and Alberta 2.

AFFILIATED  PLAYERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(Starting in 2011 the award was named after the The Honourable Mr. Justice Randall Echlin, former head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee and a life long fan of the game.)
2008 – Tim Smith (Toronto, Ont.) Rangers.
2009 — Tyson Gillies (Langley, BC) Mariners.
2010 — Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Brewers
2011 – Taylor Green (Comox, BC) Brewers and Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) Jays.
2012 – Oscar Taveras (Montreal, Que.) Cardinals
 
2013 – Sean Jamieson (Simcoe, Ont.) Diamondbacks.
2014 - Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) Blue Jays.
2015 - Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Mariners
 
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
2008 — Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ont.) Braves.
2009 — James Henderson  (Calgary, Alta.) Brewers and John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) Brewers.
2010 — Scott Mathieson (Langley, BC) Phillies.
2011 – Mark Hardy (Campbell River, BC) Padres.
2012 – James Henderson (Calgary, Alta.) Brewers
 
2013 – Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) Twins
2014 - Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) Nationals
2015 - Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) Phillies and Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) Blue Jays.

Affliated award winners from
Organizations: Brewers 5, Blue Jays 3, Mariners 2, Phillies 2, Braves, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Padres, Rangers, Nationals and Twins one each.
Provinces: BC 9, Ontario 5, Alberta 3, Quebec and Saskatchewan one each.